Improvement in water-meters



Nin rares ln'rnnr einen.

EMPROVEM ENT lN WATER-METERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 8,656, dated January27, 1552.

To all whom z'z may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HUsn, of Bos ton, Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Meters for MeasuringWater and other Fluids; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specilication, in which-Figure l is an end elevation; Fig. 2, a plan; Fig. 3, a longitudinalcentral section; Fig. 4, a cross Vertical section; Fig. 5, an elevationof the inside face of one of the heads of the cylinder, and Fig. 6 acentral section thereof.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures. V

The object of my invention was the production ofa meter which shouldmeasure the quantity of fluid discharged and be operated by the pressureor force of the column of the said Huid.

Such an apparatus, to be practically efficient, should besirnple, notVliable to derangement, and work with little friction to meet therequirements above enumerated.

The nature of my invention consists in com bining, with a hollowcylinder provided with induction and eduction pipes and aninwardprojecting stop or segment having a concentric face, a series ofhinged segmental pistons hinged or jointed to arms projecting from acentral shaft, and so hinged thereto that when thrown open their outerends or the packing thereon shall run in contact with the innerperiphery of the cylinder and their inner ends rest against the arms towhich they are hinged to prevent binding againstthe inner periphery ofthe cylinder, and thus avoid undue friction, and to balance in part theresistance of the liquid, that the pistons may turn freely in closing topass the segmental stop, and when closed to pass the projecting orsegmental stop their outer face shall be concentric and run nearly incontact with the said stop, provided with a cap of leather at one end toprevent the passage ofthe fluid between them and thc stop, and beretained in that position by their inner faces resting on a rest orprojection from the central shaft or arms, and thus have a free spacebetween their inner faces and the central shaft or boss to containfluid, to admit of the free passage of fluid when they are being`closed, instead of closing into a recess fitting them and made in acentral wheel, as in the case of some steam-engines heretofore made, andwhich, if applied to the measurement of liquids, would prevent theproper and rapid closing ofthe said pistons.

In the accompanying drawings, A denotesa cylindrical box or case, ofwhich a and b are the two circular ends or heads, they beingrespectively confined to flanges c d, extending from the cylindricalshell e of the case. Ahori zontal shaft, B, extends through the centerpart of both heads or through suitable stuffing boxes, fg. From thisshaft four or any other proper number of arms, Mk Z, radiate and eX-tend from one circular plate or head, m, to another one, n, which aretixed or fastened on the shaft and extend and rotate in circular orcorresponding recesses niade in the two heads of the meter-case, as seenat op in Fig. 3 and at p in Figs. 5 and 6.

D E F G are sectional piston-plates, made with their external surfaceportions of a cylindrical surface whose radius is equal to that of eachof the plates or heads m n. They re- Spectively turn on pins or rods q rst, made to` A extend from one head, m, to the other, n, and through thesame. The said rods pass through oylindric joints a o w x, projectingfrom each piston, as seen in the drawings, and abutting close againstthe respective outer end of the radial arms h ik l. These joints are setout of the line of the piston, as clearly shown in the section, by whichthey are more easily closed and with less shock to the parts than ifotherwise placed. Each piston-plate D E F G eX- tends inward beyond thejoint which forms the fulcrum or center of motion of the piston, andwhich should be about one-third of the whole breadth of the piston fromthe inner end, y, as seen in Fig. Ll, and is so arranged and applied asto abut against the side of the adjacent radial arms and pack, toprevent leakage and prevent the outer end of the piston-plate fromcoming in contact with the internal surface of t-he case A when the saidpiston-plate is opened to its greatest extent.

To the inner or concave side of each pistonplate D E F G a rectangularpiece or sheet of leather or other suitable flexible material, a', isfastened by means of screws and nuts (seen at b b', ne.) and washer orseat plates e e', Ste. These pieces of leather bear at their outer edgesagainst the inner curved surfacesv of the caseA and at their endsagainst the inner faces of the two ends or heads a b of the ease A. Eachof the pistons is provided with a rest, z, which extends from the shaftB and supports the piston when thrown down or closed. In Fig. 4 thepiston D is represented as so closed and supported on its rest z. Thecase A is provided with an induction-opening, I, and aneduction-passage, K, the water pipe or conduit being screwed orotherwise properly adapted to the opening I. A discharge-pipe may alsovbe-applied to the eduction-passage K. the said Atwo passages I and Kbeing arranged as seen in Fig. 4.

' Between the passages I K and the rotary system of pistons a curvedpartition or segmental stop, H, is disposed, as seen in Fig. 4, suchpartition being fastened by screws d to the case. A rectangular piece ofleather or other suitable iiexible material, e', is screwed to the upperside of the said partition by screws ff and a washer-plate, g', thelower edge of the said piece of leather being made to extend `Somewhatbeyond the partition H and so as to rest in contact with the outersurface of each pistou-plate D E F G while the piston is restfing on itsseat c and is passing directly underneath and by the said partition H.The edge of the leather e', by the superincumbent pressure of the water,is forced closely against the water-curved surface of the piston, and soas to make a `joint sufficiently close to prevent the passage of thewater between the partition H and the piston.

In the inner surface of one or both of the plates or heads of the case Aa recess or cavity, L, is formed and placed with respect to the openingK as seen in Fig. 4. As soon as any one of the pistons during its upwardmotion toward the openingK passes beyond the lower end of the c'oncavityor depression L, a free communication takes place between the water onboth sides of it. This removes the pressure from against the innersurface of the piston, so as to permit it to readily or freely fall Vbythe power of gravity into a Vertical position and toward its rest z,enabling the water which may be in the chamber between the arms and theunder face of the piston freely to pass out of the opening Kwithoutobstruction to the closing of the piston.

A spring, M, is placed within the case A over the piston G. As seen inthe position in Fig. 4,it is fastened to the case and so arranged andformed that the piston may impinge against it and be closed down uponits rest in time to prevent its projection y from improper contact withthe partition H.

A pinion-gear, N, is attached to one end of the shaft B. To this gear,and so as to be operated thereby, a suitable indicating apparatus orclock-work may be applied in order to register the number of revolutionsof the shaft,

and in consequence thereof the number of` cubic feet of water madeduring any given time to pass through the meter or ease A. Tov

the other end of the shaft a pulley or any other suitable contrivancemay be attached for the purpose of moving any mechanism by the power ofthe water when it is made to pass through the case A. rlhe mechanismabove described, instead of being used as a watermeter, may be employedas a motive power, or as a measurer of gas or any other liquid thanwater. The apparatus so constructed may be used in any part of abuilding below the level of the head of water and be productiveofsimilar or nearly similar results as when placed at thelowest parts ofthe said building.

From the above it will be seen that the pisv 4ton-plates D E F G are notallowed to comein Contact with the inner curved periphery of the case A,the piece of leather ct being'caused to rest against the same, and thusto make a close joint and one not liable to wear, the portion y of eachpiston-plate, by Contact with the radial arm to which it is hinged,preventing the plate when entirely open from touching the vsaid curvedsurface.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

Gombining'with a cylindrical case such as herein described, and providedwith induction and eduction passages and with a segmental stop andleather cap-plate for packing, substantially as described, a series ofhinged segmental pistons hinged to arms projecting from acentral shaftor hub and hinged at about one-third of the distance from their innerends, so that /when thrown open their outer ends shall not bind againstthe inner periphery of the eylinder,and when closed to pass thesegmental stop they shall be sustained by a rest projecting from thecentral shaft or its equivalent, having a space between them and theshaft and arms for the free flow of water or other iluid under the saidpistons to admit of their closing freely, the whole being made andcombined substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

SAMUEL HUSE.

Vitnesses:

GAUSTEN BRowNn, WM. II. BIsHoP.

